JA WestenbergI genuinely think the worst thing the internet did to reading was convince people that finishing books is a competitive sport. You don't need to read 52 books a year. You just need to read. Books you like. At your own pace. And think about them for longer than a TikTok video.
michael@Daojoan personally I try to review most of them in writing, and keep a list just for myself. Various views on the counting trend in this recent Guardian piece: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/feb/21/last-year-i-read-137-books-could-setting-targets-help-you-put-down-your-phone-and-pick-up-a-book
‘Last year I read 137 books’: could setting targets help you put down your phone and pick up a book?
BookTok influencer Jack Edwards motivates himself with reading goals – and he’s not alone. Authors and avid readers discuss the rise of metrics, and reveal how many books they finished last year
AccordionBruce@proseandpassion @Daojoan
My phone cut that off leaving me to anticipate an alternate article that would be interesting to compare, “Last year I read One book”
Reading books isn’t always a mentally or physically healthy activity
Just like going to the gym all the time isn’t
I don’t keep count but can definitely say if I read a few less books and took a few more walks it might be a better balance
Readers with dogs likely don’t have those problem
